The present invention relates to a method for providing and processing locality information in switched networks, such as fixed networks, mobile telephone networks, Internet or technically equivalent networks, in particular, at the appropriate interface to the respective service logic.
In switching technology, methods and architectures are known for switching a call in a connection-oriented network as a function of its origin, as is described in ITU-T publication Q1221 (09,97) under the title “Introduction to Intelligent Network Capability Set 2”. In this context, the positional information used for this method consists exclusively of the current relation of the subscriber within a structured switched network. Thus, for example, an emergency call number can be configured within the network in such a manner that the call is forwarded to a call center servicing the local telephone network.
Also known are methods in which, after the call has been put through, geographic location information is transmitted from the terminal device to a server at the destination subscriber end, such as the ADAC emergency kit, for example, to make it easier to locate a vehicle in the case of an accident or breakdown.
Publications of the PARLAY Group, such as the Parlay News Page of Oct. 22, 1999 and the Press Release of Jun. 15, 1999 as well as the publication “Parlay API-Business Benefits White Paper” of Jun. 11, 1999 describe how information on the whereabouts of the caller is provided to a program implementing the service logic for through-connection to the target subscriber, in particular, for calls from mobile telephony networks or from the Internet. Locality information can be obtained, for example, using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and forwarded to the service logic.
The present origin-dependent routing of connections has the disadvantage that no uniform method for providing this location information exists which is compatible with current network architectures. An adaptation and modification of the existing signaling protocols in the respective networks, such as the Intelligent Network Application Protocol (INAP), the Mobile Application Protocol (MAP), the Camel Application Protocol (CAP), the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and the protocol for implementing data communication services in IP networks (H.323) according to ITU standard, are extremely tedious and difficult to carry out, thus requiring considerable technical effort.